UNIT – V - Welfare state

The welfare state is a form of government in which the state protects

and promotes the economic and social well-being of the citizens,
based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equitable distribution
of wealth, and public responsibility for citizens unable to avail
themselves of the minimal provisions for a good.
A welfare state is a social system in which the government assumes
responsibility for the well-being of citizens by making sure that people
have access to basic resources such as housing, health care, education,
and employment.
 UNIT – V - Welfare state
What are the distinct Features of a Welfare State?
•An Instrument for Social Welfare:
•A Compromise between Individualisms and Socialism:
•Establishment of Democracy:
•Equal Rights of All:
•Development through Planning:
•Moral Development of Individual:
•A Positive State:
•Social welfare is the Right of Individual, not a Dole from the State:
 UNIT – V - Characteristics of welfare state
1.A welfare state ensures social security. In a welfare state of economy, though the traits of
capitalism are also seen, it is mainly a mixed economy. Even when a combination of
capitalistic and socialistic features exists, the government plays a dominant role in controlling
the economic activities and in the social welfare of the people.
2.A welfare state is socialistic in nature. It is based on the principles of equality and is keen to
provide equal opportunity to all. It also aims to ensure equitable distribution of wealth.
3.It exercises control over all the economic activities. In a welfare state, all the private
enterprises are regulated by the government.
4.It provides even the basic facilities to its citizens. Furnishing services to each and every
individual is its duty. A welfare government is keen in providing economic and social services
such as general education, public health, public transport, housing, and other financial
assistance to its people.
5.It undertakes and runs various enterprises. Ownership and operation of industrial
enterprises, business and other commercial activities are also done by welfare governments.
 UNIT – V - Characteristics of welfare state
6.It ensures justice to all. In a welfare state, common man has to deal with the authorities for
many of their needs. For example; administrative officers, controlling officers, sanctioning
authorities, officers of social services, executives of public sector undertakings etc. In all such
dealings, a welfare state has the responsibility to ensure justice and fulfillment of their
requirements.
7.Planning of activities: Economic activities include production and distribution. It is the duty
of the welfare state to formulate national policies and to plan every economic activity in a
balanced manner. Industrial policy, trade policy, commercial and banking policy etc are
framed in order to control those activities.
8.It is the function of a welfare state to regulate and control all private enterprises engaged in
economic activities. Such control includes registration, licensing, taxation etc.
9.Welfare of labourers also comes under the purview of the duties of welfare state. They are
bound to make legislations to prevent exploitation of workers, and to ensure the security and
welfare of those who work in industrial enterprises, factories, companies and all other sectors
of employment.
 UNIT – V – India is a welfare state
As we have seen, India is described as a welfare state. ... A welfare
state is based on the principles of equality of opportunity and
equitable distribution of wealth. It also focuses on the governmental
responsibility for those who are unable to avail themselves of the
minimal provisions of a good life.

What are the provisions in the Constitution of India that make it a

welfare state?
The Directive Principles of State Policy, enshrined in Part IV of
the Indian Constitution reflects that India is a welfare state. Seats
are reserved for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in government
jobs, educational institutions, Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha.
 UNIT – V – India is a welfare state
India is called a welfare state:
That is why, they decided that India would be a welfare state. As you
must have seen, India is described as a “sovereign socialist secular
democratic republic” in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.
Accordingly, the Constitution has extensive provisions to ensure
social and economic welfare of the people of India.
Welfare state and its functions:
Welfare state, concept of government in which the state or a well-
established network of social institutions plays a key role in the
protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of
citizens. ... The general term may cover a variety of forms of
economic and social organization.
 UNIT – V – Social Change
Social Change
Change means differentiation in anything observation over sometime. If
we feel that there's come alteration we call it changes. It this change is in
contest to social structure, institution etc, i.e. social context then it is
social change.
According Fictor "Change means variations from previous state or mode
of existence".
Change is an universal phenomena i.e. it is a law of native. There's
always a change in nature. Society is a part of nature & so society also
changes & static society is unthinkable. Society is on the wheel of
change, which may occur due to various factors (like demography, ideas
etc. If there is any change in Technology etc there's change in society) out
the change varies in speed & farm.
 UNIT – V – Definition of Social Change
Ginsberg (By social change I understand a change in the social structure).
Kingsley Doris "By social change is meant only such alternations as occur in social
organization i.e. the structure & functions of society".
Merril & Elbridge "Social change means, that large no. of persons are engaging in
activities that differ from those which they or their immediate fore-fathers engaged
in some time before."
Gillin & Gillin "Social changes are variations from the accepted mode of life,
whether due to alteration in geographical condition, in cultural equipment,
composition of the population. Or ideologies & whether brought about by diffusion
or inventions within the group."
Jones' "Social change is a term used to describe variations in or modification of any
aspect of social process, social patterns, social interaction or social organization."
M.D.Jenson – Describes –Social change as "modification in ways of doing &
thinking of people."
 UNIT – V – Characteristics of Social change
• Social change is universal or it is an essential law.
• Change with diff. in speed & form simple society … change was slower.
• Change is unpredictable in general Revolt is a process of social change. What speed & in
what form the change takes place is not easily predictable.
• Social change is change in community
• Social change generally changes in direction.

There are 3 patterns of social change.

•linear failure change generally leads to progress (change for good) can't cycle –car –
train –plain
•Fluctuating change – the change may be upward & downward. The demographic
change is such also economic change,
•Cyclical change – the change is in a cycle. Fashion, sometimes also in economical
aspect (Karl max gave this idea. He says earlier there was no private property & we may
go back to it).
 UNIT – V – Type of Social Change:
(1) Evolutionary Social Changes:
(2) Revolutionary Changes:
(i) Social Movement and Social Revolution:
(ii) Common Motivation:
(iii) Common Need:
(iv) Long Standing Suffering due to Suppression and Oppression:
(v) Impact of Communication:
(vi) Education:
 UNIT – V – Type of Social Change:
Types of social change: According to cultural anthropologist David F.
Aberle, the four types of social change include:
 Alternative
 Redemptive
 Reformative
 Revolutionary 

Definition: Social change is any alteration in the cultural, structural,

population, or ecological characteristics of a social system. In a sense,
attention to social change is inherent in all sociological work
because social systems are always in the process of change
 UNIT – V – Theories of Social Change:
Theory of Deterioration:
Some thinkers have identified social change with deterioration. According to them,
man originally lived in a perfect state of happiness in a golden age. Subsequently,
however, deterioration began to take place with the result that man reached an age of
comparative degeneration. This was the notion in the ancient Orient.
It was expressed in the epic poems of India, Persia and Sumeria. Thus, according to
Indian mythology man has passed through four ages—Satyug, Treta, Dwapar and
Kaliyug. The Satyug was the best age in which man was honest, truthful and
perfectly happy.
Thereafter degeneration began to take place. The modern age is the age of Kaliyug
wherein man is deceitful, treacherous, false, dishonest, selfish and consequently
unhappy. That such should be the concept of history in early times is
understandable, since we observe deterioration in every walk of life today.
 UNIT – V – Theories of Social Change:
Cyclic Theory:
Another ancient notion of social change found side by side with the afore-mentioned one, is
that human society goes through certain cycles. Looking to the cyclic changes of days and
nights and of climates some sociologists like Spengler believe that society has a
predetermined life cycle and has birth, growth, maturity, and decline.
Modern society is in the last stage. It is in its old age. But since history repeats itself, society
after passing through all the stages, returns to the original stage, whence the cycle again
begins. This concept is found in Hindu mythology, a cording to which Satyug will again start
after Kaliyug is over. J.B. Bury in his The Idea of Progress, pointed out that this concept is
also found in the teachings of stoic philosophers of Greece as well as in those of some of the
Roman philosophers, particularly Marcus Aurelius.
The view that change takes place in a cyclical way has been accepted by some modern
thinkers also who have given different versions of the cyclical theory. The French
anthropologist and biologist Vacher de Lapouge held that race is the most important
determinant of culture. Civilization, he maintained, develops and progresses when a society is
composed of individuals belonging to superior races and declines when racially inferior
people are absorbed into it.
 UNIT – V – Theories of Social Change:
Linear Theory:
Some thinkers subscribe to the linear theory of social change. According to them,
society gradually moves to an even higher state of civilization and that it advances
in a linear fashion and in the direction of improvement. Auguste Comte postulated
three stages of social change: the Theological, the Metaphysical and the Positive.
Man has passed through the first two stages, even though in some aspects of life
they still prevail, and is gradually reaching the Positive stage. In the first stage man
believed that supernatural powers controlled and designed the world. He advanced
gradually from belief in fetishes and deities to monotheism.
This stage gave way to the Metaphysical stage, during which man tries to explain
phenomena by resorting to abstractions. On the positive stage man considers the
search for ultimate causes hopeless and seeks the explanatory facts that can be
empirically observed. This implies progress which according to Comte will be
assured if man adopts a positive attitude in the understanding of natural and social
phenomena.